"I often give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it." Alice in Wonderland

Monday, April 14, 2008

That's just great Barack - now who am I going to vote for? God?

Sigh. I'm sure everyone has heard about Barack Obama's stinging comment about small town Americans and small American towns. Of course, when I first heard about it - I had to look it up and see the exact wording of his "comment" myself. The media has been accused of "going easy" on Barack - that he is the Media's poster boy - and quite honestly that seemed to be true. Now, however, the media seems to be trying to make up for their "political bias" by portraying Obama's comment about small towns becoming "bitter and clinging to guns and religion" as something more demeaning than it really was - or was it? When I read the comment - and being from a very very very ridiculously small town in rural Utah, I have to agree with him that these small communities are dwindling and disappearing. Especially in a mining community like mine - you can only mine for so long and push the earth so far before it stagnates, and eventually, starts to downward spiral. People move on to more economically promising areas - and the small towns eventually die out. HOWEVER, Barack's explanation as to HOW these small towns COPE with such an economic downfall came off, to me, as condescending and elitist. It was a lame comment, and frankly it has effected how I think about Barack. Almost to the point of "Oh great. There seriously isn't anyone to vote for - either a Crazy POW who's already having to combat rumors of infidelity, a cold hearted, calculating politique who sold her soul to the Devil years ago, or an elitist jackass." Is there really a lesser of 3 evils to choose from? I bought a Hillary Clinton biography this weekend. I bought it because I do find her a very intriguing woman and I'm interested in getting to know the "woman behind the politician"...and honestly, after hearing such negative comments about small town Americans and their "clinging to religion out of bitterness and frustration" (as if religion is only acknowledged by poor ignorant folk out of desperation - it's like he's shocked that any sensible successful American would ever really consider religion worth clinging to) that Barack stupidly let slip - (and I'd never thought I'd say THIS) but Clinton is looking better and better...at least comparatively.

Here's the comment. What say YOU?

"You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them," Obama said. "And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." CNN Article

5 comments:

I heard this comment last night and was dissapointed myself since I was definatly leaning towards Obama. It's funny though I said to Adam last night, I wonder if Andrea has heard his comment (knowing you were a supporter.)What a bummer, I was really getting excited about him.

Well granted that is the small town stereotype, but it wouldn't be a stereotype if there wasn't some truth to it. However, you really shouldn't put soooo much weight on this one comment. I mean its one thing, eventhough I agree with you about him being an Elitist. But just because of this comment you should never think or say that Hillary will be any better. I mean she is the definition of what an Elitist is. If you don't vote for Obama you should vote for Ron Paul (also an elitist, but less of one in my opinion). Support the Revolution!

So the stereotype of small towns is that because they are frustrated with their economic downturns they bitterly cling to guns, religion, anti-imigrant ideals, and so forth? It's like he's saying anyone who believes in religion, the right to bear arms, and anti-immigration legislation is just covering up for some other internal frustrated issue that any "reasonable" (read well-off city person) would never believe. That's pretty ironic considering a lot of "Big City" people (aka many rich, city, Republicans like Bush, Romney, McCain) seem to "bitterly cling" to ideals like guns and anti-immigrant legislation and I'm pretty damn sure they are fairly economically well off. Small towns doesn't always equal conservative thought - and furthermore, even if small towners are more right-winged, Barack thinks it's because they are ignorant and not that they are making informed decisions. Futhermore - I am a small towner who happens to NOT be bitter or frustrated with my small towns economic stagnation (sad yes - but not bitter) - and still believes in ("clings to") religion. I'm also a small towner who is more liberal concerning gun control as well as immigration laws. This was a very stupid comment that really opened up a door to what Barack's true character may be - and I am going to be more weary of him for sure.

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"Self-esteem goes to the very heart of our personal growth and accomplishment. It is the glue that holds together our self-reliance, our self-control, our self-approval or disapproval and keeps all self-defense mechanisms secure. It is a protection against excessive self-deception, self-distrust, self-reproach, and plain old-fashioned selfishness."The Importance of Self-Esteem - James E Faust